The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-03-10
SOUTH SEA IMAGES.
Gigantic Relics Found on Ponape and East
er Islands.

Islands.
The success of one of our men-of-war
in securing one of the above images
from Easter island for the Smithsonian
institute has given fresh interest to the
peculiar remains on this little island
on the coast of Chill. The origin of
these images has been the puzzle of
savants for years, but it is only recent
ly that it has been discovered that SINH
lar erections exist upon the island of
Ponape or Ascension, one of the Caro-
line group, situated in north latitude 6
degrees So minutes and east longitude
1913 degrees q minutes in the Pacific
ocean. But little is known to the gem
eral public regarding islands in the Pa
cific out of the beaten track of yoyag-
eurs. The whalemen, however, that
pursue the large cetacean known as the
sperm variety, in the tropical seas, vis-
it these delightful hooks to replenish
their stock of provisions and to lay in
a store of fruits, pigs, and other prov.
ender before proceeding on their Arctic
cruise. The lazy life that the islanders
lead, the enervating climate, and de-
sire to escape the work. on board ship
have been the causes of many sailors
deserving at the points touched. Lured
by the dark eyes and graceful forms OF
the dusky island women, they remain
and lead dolce far niente life Upon
many of the islands that dot the vast
Pacific these ''beach-combers" are to
be found, every Jack his Jill and a host
of children around him.
The Caroline group of islands belong
to Spain. but, as is characteristic of ths
Spanish, nothing has been done in the
way of exploration and little is known
of them, except by traders or whalers,
Gnam is the port. but at the islands of
Salpan and Ponape whalers stop to re-
cruit. From information obtained by
Chronicle representative from one OF
the whaling captains the following ac-
count of the ancient ruins, situated up
on Ponape, was obtained:
The beech of glistening white sand
and coral remains has agrowth of rank
grass, reaching almost to the water-line,
Dense groves of palm, cocoanut and cloth
trees surround a village of huts, through
which the pathway to the ruins runs.
intermingled with obsidi;in, visitors are
forced to climb, until distance of over
ten miles from the shore is reached.
Surrounded by thicket of palms and
species of bamboo series of vast
terraces of stone rise, step by step, up
the hillside. These terraces are prob,
ably three hundred yards in length and
vary from twenty to thirty feet in width
The size of these terraces is insigniti
cant when the topmost structure is
reached.
A wall of whitish stone rises at the
summit, nearly thirty feet high, and
forming an irregular rectangle. The
stones composing the wall are from five
to six feetsin length and eight to tor
feet thick, each stone weighing seYera
tons. Although the sides of these gi-
gantic stones are perfectly smooth and
of nearly equal proportions there is no
| the fainteSt sign of a chisel mark. n,
cement has been used to lay them il
position and gaps occur at intervals
At the single gateway, or entrance
stand two stone monoliths over thirt,
feet high, each having at the top an i'm
mense bowl. Passing through the en-
trance stone altar is to be seen in the
center of the inclosure. This altar i.
also composed of stone, but the teXtur,
seems to differ from that used to built
the wall, although similar in color
Two flights of steps surround this ele
vation, which has an immense tre
growing in the center. In its growtl
the tree has displaced the huge stone
of the altar. and the north side is nov
out of its level. Parasitical vines ant
underground run over the walls, through
the crevices, and hang in graceful fes
| toons from the branches of the trees
| Alarmed at mans approach beautiful
golden green lizards, with backs glis
tening in the bright sunlight, dart tc
and fro through the brush, but no Ven
emous reptiles are found.
BY what race these buildings were
constructed is a mystery. The native:
do not know; neither have they any
tradition regarding them. To move
such cyclopean stones must have re
quired immense labor and appliances
and unless the progenitors of the pres.
ent race of natives We're possessed o
a knowledge of the mechanical arts il
is difficult to imagine who were the
builders. Similar gigantic ruins ano
images are known to exist in the Pacif
ic islands only on Easter island. Tire
origin of these structures is surrounded
with mystery, and archeologists at
tribute their raising to Il forgotten race
Among the rice and yam fields on Sal
pan island may be seen monoliths with
bowls on their tops, but of small di
| mensions. The natives call these stone:
Ondces, and state that their uses are fol
| landmarks.
The only recorded visit to Ponape by
| any scientific individuals was in 1866
when the Austrian frigate Novara call
ed at the island. Other than this the
existence of these interesting ruins is
hardly known to the general scientific
world.-San Francisco Chronicle.